Team San Manuel's James Stewart Disappointed With Houston Results

Houston, TX (February 14, 2011)-Team San Manuel Yamaha Red Bull’s James Stewart had a great start at Houston’s Reliant Stadium this weekend. He set pace for the day with the fastest qualifying lap time in Practice of 48.60. Stewart then won his Heat race in dominant fashion, taking the lead in the first lap and posting an even faster lap time of 47.85. But the Main Event was a different story for the multi-time Champion. Off the start, a pile up in the first turn knocked Stewart down, pushing him back to 15th place in the first lap. Stewart quickly remounted and began to charge ahead, when he was set back again in the 6th lap, after crashing with another rider. “The track was really difficult and it was definitely tough for me out there,” Stewart said. “In the second crash my front brake was bent so my wheel kept stopping in the air and it was a little scary. The good thing is I’m healthy and I’ll be back next week in San Diego.” With a broken front brake Stewart was forced to ride slower than his usual pace and finished 15th.

Stewart’s teammate Kyle Regal had a similar day with a great start in Heat 2 where he grabbed the holeshot, rode a solid race and finished fourth for a direct transfer to the Main. Unfortunately for Regal, he was caught behind the pile up in the first turn of the Main and managed to finish directly behind his teammate in 16th, after racing on the challenging Houston track. “I am definitely disappointed with my race in Houston. I was hoping for better results. I’m just going to have to work hard to get a better start in San Diego” Regal said.

Stewart is now in second place with 123 points, just nine points shy of the lead. Regal is currently in 14th place with 43 points.

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About Team San Manuel
Formed in 2006, Team San Manuel is a unique partnership between the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and L&M Racing, LLC, with the sole purpose of reaching out to Native and non-Native communities and sharing with
them the value of perseverance and dedication. Building a winning team comprised of top-notch talent and community service, Team San Manuel honors the Serrano belief of caring for our community. (www.sanmanuelracing.com)

About the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, California. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self -government. Despite challenges and hardships, the San Manuel tribal community has continued to progressively maintain and enhance its unique form of government — focusing all efforts on providing a better quality of life for its citizens. Through economic diversification, both on and off the reservation, the tribe has been forward thinking in its efforts to build infrastructure, maintain civil services and promote social, economic, educational and governmental units including the departments of fire, public safety, education and environment and continues to pursue opportunities for future generations.

About L & M Racing
L&M Racing was formed in 2006 by Owner/Team Manager Larry Brooks and partner Mike Kranyak. Operating as Team San Manuel Yamaha, the team has garnered two Supercross Championship titles in the last three race seasons. For the 2011 race season, two-time Supercross Champion James Stewart anchors Team San Manuel as he seeks his next Championship and is joined by 2009 AMA MX National 450 Class Rookie of the Year Kyle Regal. In 2009, Team San Manuel’s James Stewart won his second Supercross Championship, his first coming in 2007, and second for L&M Racing’s independent effort. In 2008, Team San Manuel Yamaha, consisted of 2004 Supercross Champion Chad Reed and former West Coast Lites Champion Nathan Ramsey -- the newly-formed endeavor garnered its first championship title that season. Led by Larry Brooks, the driving force behind the Jeremy McGrath / Chaparral Racing team’s three-year championship reign in Supercross, Brooks’ then race effort yielded the first and only indie team to ever win an AMA Supercross Series Championship. L&M Racing is headquartered within an 8,000 square foot, state-of-the-art race facility in Southern California and is one of the most successful independently owned and operated teams in professional Supercross racing today.